An alleged comment that “women don’t like to do that job”, and other discussions at an Ontario Labour Relations Board safety-reprisal mediation, were privileged and could not form the basis for a discrimination complaint, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has decided.

An administrative employee with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario filed a safety-reprisal complaint under section 50 of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act. The parties attended mediation at the Ontario Labour Relations Board in that safety-reprisal matter.

She alleged, in a separate discrimination Application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, that at the OLRB mediation, she was told that her former administrative position no longer existed and was offered a mail clerk position but told that “women don’t like to do that job.” In her Tribunal Application, she made a number of other allegations about the OLRB mediation.

The Tribunal decided, based on various sections of the Ontario Labour Relations Act, that the discussions at the OLRB mediation were confidential and without prejudice settlement discussions and as such were privileged. Further, the OLRB mediator could not be compelled to testify as a witness before the Tribunal. As such, the employee could not use the OLRB mediation discussions as a basis for her discrimination complaint to the Tribunal.

The Tribunal stated that there was no reason to depart from the Tribunal’s usual approach of not relying upon confidential and without prejudice settlement discussions. Confidentiality is important in mediation, and no exception to the application of settlement (“without prejudice”) privilege was warranted in this case.

Subscribe now!

Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. www.dentons.com